Green Activist & Wildlife warrior

Species of the Day – Pima Pineapple Cactus (Coryphantha robustispina)

Pima pineapple cactus burst into bloom, when the monsoon season rolls across the Sonoran Desert.Sweet, green fruits soon follow, providing essential food and water to a number of desert critters.

Pima pineapple cactus was once abundant throughout its small range in southern Arizona, but now only several hundred plants scattered in their rapidly disappearing endangered habitats are left and fewer of these beautiful cacti bloom every year.

Pima Pineapple Cactus is confined to plains in a developing region and therefore threatened mainly by expanding urbanization. Since 1993 has been listed under the Endangered Species Act.Threatened primarily by expanding urbanization. However the invasive Lehman’s lovegrass has a major impact, as do off-road vehicles, fires and illegal removal by collectors.

Conservation groups have drafted the Sonoran Desert Conservation Plan which aims to protect the Pima Pineapple Cactus and 22 other endangered species from human development is the southern Arizona region.